Conventionally, aircraft are produced in clocked lines on separate construction sites. In this principle an aircraft to be assembled is moved in longitudinal direction between a multitude of construction sites in which in each case certain assembly steps or test steps are carried out. Examples include fuselage assembly, wing assembly, as well as ground testing of aircraft systems.
It is also known to produce aircraft in assembly line setups. Modelled after the technique used in automobile construction, the aircraft is continually moved in longitudinal direction through the individual construction sites and in this process is assembled.
In these known final assembly principles it is, however, a critical point that assembly difficulties experienced with one aircraft have a negative effect on the entire assembly line. Skipping individual construction sites or assembly steps is not possible. While making the respective aircraft leave clocked production is possible in principle, this is, however, associated with considerable effort and expenditure. There is a further disadvantage in that assembly in longitudinal direction of the aircraft requires a relatively large amount of space. Furthermore, in clocked line assembly the aircraft need to be moved with considerable effort and expenditure between the construction sites.
Patent application US 2008/0250626 A1 by the applicant proposes that, at least in the installation of fittings, fuselage sections be arranged in transverse direction side by side. In each case the fuselage sections rest on a transport vehicle and are continuously moved in transverse direction along a circular path from one construction site to the next construction site.
While movement of the fuselages in transverse direction side by side requires less space than does an arrangement of the fuselages in longitudinal direction, in the method according to US 2008/0250626 A1 skipping individual construction sites is, however, not possible either. Furthermore, controlling the individual transport vehicles is associated with relatively great effort and expenditure.